FIREFIGHTERS were last night battling a blaze aboard a Russian fish

factory ship anchored off Lerwick in the Shetland Isles.

Nearly four hours after fire broke out on the 16,500-tonne

Chernomorskaya Slava, which has a crew of 162, thick smoke could still

be seen pouring from the ship.

Earlier, a major rescue operation was mounted to evacuate more than

100 crew members from the stricken vessel, which was lying in the

Bressay Sound, north-east of Lerwick.

The drama began shortly after 7pm when fire was reported in one of the

cargo holds containing around 100 tonnes of carboard boxes.

A spokesman at the RAF rescue centre at Pitreavie Castle in Fife said

later that there were no casualties.

''Attempts are still being made to bring the blaze under control,'' he

said at 11pm. ''More than 100 crew members have been taken off the

ship.''